Currently, most vehicles are equipped with passenger restraint systems having a lap belt and shoulder harness. Preferably, the shoulder harness is coupled to a vehicle sensitive retractor mechanism. This is a retractor mechanism in which the spring loaded reel under normal conditions of operation is freely movable in protraction and retraction directions. This is to give the restrained vehicle occupant a high degree of freedom of movement. The mechanism includes, however, an inertia sensitive device, usually in the form of a pendulum, which is responsive to sudden changes in vehicle movement such as may be caused by a sudden application of the vehicle brakes or upon impact with an object such as another vehicle. The shift in position of the pendulum or part thereof is transmitted to a locking bar engageable with the reel to lock the latter against movement in a protraction direction. Reference may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 3,489,367, issued Jan. 13, 1970 to R. F. Kovacs et al for an "Emergency Locking Retractor."
Vehicle sensitive retractors utilizing a pendulum swingable about a single universal pivot have been found to have undesirable operating characteristics. For example, it is important that the retractor be installed in the vehicle with the pendulum vertical axis normal to ground level. Variations in vehicle body structures sometimes makes it difficult to achieve this and it is therefore necessary to make adjustments which slow down the vehicle assembly process. Further, if the vehicle is parked on a slope, it is possible that the harness cannot be protracted to permit the seat occupant to buckle up.
It is an object of the present invention to support the pendulum in such a manner that it can be tilted within a predetermined range without causing the locking bar to engage and hold the reel against protraction. Upon being tilted beyond a predetermined position, however, the pendulum becomes operative to raise the locking bar into reel engagement.